1. Field of the Invention
The present invention deals with the field of devices adapted to be wedged between a vehicle and a surface upon which the wheel is riding for providing an external means for fixing a vehicle in place on a highway and preventing rolling or other movement thereof. Such devices are conventionally available in the form of blocks or wedges which are often stored on the vehicle itself. The present design is specifically used for emergency vehicles which have larger wheels and require a heavy duty wheel chocking apparatus. Also with such emergency vehicles storage is a distinct problem. As such, the present invention provides a heavy duty wheel chocking or blocking device which is collapsible for storage in the minimal amount of space possible upon the emergency vehicle. Such emergency vehicles often have significant storage problems due to the many different types of equipment such vehicles must hold. The present invention provides the heavy duty wheel chocking apparatus while taking up only a minimal amount of space in the emergency equipment storage area of such a vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior
Many prior art devices have been utilized for wheel blocking and some have been configured which are collapsible such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,035,381 patented Aug. 13, 1912 to T. J. Moss on a "Chock"; and U.S. Pat. No. 1,746,415 patented Feb. 11, 1930 to J. A. Burkart on a "Collapsible Wheel Chuck"; and U.S. Pat. No. 1,768,265 patented Jun. 24, 1930 to F. T. Nicholls on a "Collapsible Chock For Road Vehicle Wheels"; and U.S. Pat. No. 1,894,439 patented Jan. 17, 1933 to G. F. Chisholm on an "Adjustable And Collapsible Wheel Chock"; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,184,487 patented Dec. 26, 1939 to J. W. Clark on a "Folding Chock"; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,240,512 patented May 6, 1941 to O Morgensen, Jr. on a "Wheel Chock"; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,585,370 patented Feb. 12, 1952 to J. M. Cless on a "Folding Wheel Chock"; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,666,502 patented Jan. 19, 1954 to E. L. Fee on a "Wheel Chock"; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,671,533 patented Mar. 9, 1954 to B. L. Taylor on a "Self-Resetting Chock"; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,723,005 patented Nov. 8, 1955 to A. B. Wink on "Wheel Chocks"; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,816,627 patented Dec. 17, 1957 to M. C. Wilson et al and assigned to Calumet Steel Castings Corporation on a "Retractable Wheel Chock"; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,818,940 patented Jan. 7, 1958 to L. J. Boyle on a "Chock"; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,822,063 patented Feb. 4, 1958 to W. E. Hampton and assigned to United Equipment & Service Inc. on a "Self Adjusting Chock"; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,822,890 patented Feb. 11, 1958 to A. A. Kriewaldt on a "Chock Brake"; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,829,738 patented Apr. 8, 1958 to J. C. Vasquez on a "Collapsible Chock"; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,903,094 patented Sep. 8, 1959 to F. H. Andersen on a "Collapsible Wheel Block"; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,068,962 patented Dec. 18, 1962 to J. M. Petro on a "Collapsible Wheel Chock"; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,317,007 patented May 2, 1967 to R. C. Braun on a "Continual-Self-Adjsuting Wheel Chock Unit"; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,353,633 patented Nov. 21, 1967 to L. Leonard et al on a "Chock Device For Wheels"; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,387,686 patented Jun. 11, 1968 to F. H. Little on a "Wheel Chock"; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,647,029 patented Mar. 7, 1972 to J. Hanley on a "Wheel Chock"; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,845,845 patented Nov. 5, 1974 to H. Geisthoff and assigned to Jean Walterscheid GmbH on "Wheel Chock For Vehicles"; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,973,651 patented Aug. 10, 1976 to K. Garrett et al and assigned to Humphrey Thompson Enterprises Limited on a "Vehicle Chock"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,763 patented Aug. 29, 1978 to T. Sugino on a "Wheel Stop Apparatus"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,140,206 patented Feb. 20, 1979 to S. Yamazaki et al and assigned to Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha on a "Collapsible Wheel Chock"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,421,210 patented Dec. 20, 1983 to Y. Sugino and assigned to Sugino Press Co., Ltd. on a "Wheel Stop Apparatus"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,270 patented Mar. 27, 1990 to T. Hudson on a "Chock For Wheeled Vehicle"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,219 patented Apr. 17, 1990 to S. Henry on a "Wheel Chock"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,104,170 patented Apr. 14, 1992 to J. Rich and assigned to Jackson Assembly Enterprises, Inc. on an "Automobile Jack And Wheel Chock System"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,137,121 patented Aug. 11, 1992 to P. Leonard on a "Trailer Wheel Chock"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,294,221 patented Mar. 15, 1994 to D. Eller et al on an "Adjustable Vehicle Wheel Restraint"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,302,063 patented Apr. 12, 1994 to R. Winsor and assigned to Holden America Inc. on a "Vehicle Wheel Chock".